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Birkes Elementary

Q: Is Birkes Elementary a good school?

Birkes Elementary ranks 633 rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

633^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Birkes Elementary is a large PK-5 school in Houston, TX, serving 1,040 students within the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd), and it stands out as a consistently high-performing school in a diverse, middle-income community where about 53% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Birkes Elementary has a strong track record, earning a 4-star rating from Schooldigger for the past five years and ranking in the 86th to 89th percentile statewide. This is a slight decline from its pre-pandemic 5-star status, but the school still significantly outperforms both the district and state averages in Reading and Math across all tested grades. For example, 4th-grade Reading proficiency was nearly 75% at Birkes, compared to about 60% for the district and 53% for the state. What truly sets Birkes apart is its exceptional effectiveness with students from low socio-economic backgrounds, ranking in the 91st percentile for this group. This is a stark contrast to nearby schools like Metcalf Elementary and Fiest Elementary, which have higher poverty rates and struggle to achieve similar results. Birkes also operates efficiently, spending less per student ($8,755) than many neighboring schools while delivering top-tier outcomes.

While Birkes is a stable and excellent choice, it faces competition from nearby elite schools like Rennell Elementary (97th percentile) and Byrd Elementary (95th percentile), which serve more affluent populations and post even higher test scores. Birkes offers a more inclusive environment with still-strong results, though its 5th-grade Science scores, while above average, are not as dominant as its Reading and Math scores. Additionally, the school's performance with English Language Learners has been volatile, dropping from a 5-star rating to a 2-star rating recently, which is an area to watch. Overall, Birkes Elementary is a smart, efficient, and high-performing school that delivers excellent academic results for a diverse student body.

1,040

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,338

Per pupil spending ?

52.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8500 Queenston Blvd
Houston, TX 77095

(281) 345-3300

District: Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.2%

White:

24.9%

African American:

19.0%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Birkes Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Texas average (67% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Texas elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg56%

Texas avg51%

633^rd of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 58Elementary Schools in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)

320^th of 951Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	83.7	633 of 4627	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	83.7	620 of 4651	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.9	505 of 4710	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	82.9	650 of 4647	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	85.4	547 of 4581	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	85.3	564 of 4578	87.7%	★★★★☆
2019	91.3	300 of 4479	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	89.5	369 of 4359	91.5%	★★★★★
2017	92.6	277 of 4329	93.6%	★★★★★
2016	87.6	354 of 4286	91.7%	★★★★★
2015	87.4	338 of 4320	92.2%	★★★★★
2014	90.5	171 of 4260	96.0%	★★★★★
2013	90.3	207 of 4221	95.1%	★★★★★
2012	89.9	219 of 4206	94.8%	★★★★★
2011	83.8	245 of 4095	94.0%	★★★★★
2010	83.0	284 of 3937	92.8%	★★★★★
2009	82.3	356 of 3884	90.8%	★★★★★
2008	87.2	106 of 3768	97.2%	★★★★★
2007	85.3	123 of 3724	96.7%	★★★★★
2006	79.0	475 of 3476	86.3%	★★★★☆
2005	76.9	610 of 3475	82.4%	★★★★☆
2004	79.7	429 of 3465	87.6%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	290 of 2406	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	74.7	367 of 2443	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	308 of 2443	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	86.3	168 of 2421	93.1%	★★★★★
2021	85.2	172 of 2444	93.0%	★★★★★
2019	87.8	152 of 2515	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	79.7	284 of 2483	88.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.0	306 of 999	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	391 of 1045	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	505 of 1015	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	398 of 957	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.7	242 of 967	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	65.7	319 of 1009	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	364 of 1005	63.8%	★★★☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	81.9	380 of 4461	91.5%	★★★★★
2021	89.4	182 of 4331	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	84.4	289 of 4295	93.3%	★★★★★
2018	73.7	624 of 4240	85.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	45.1	902 of 1643	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	85.6	332 of 3668	90.9%	★★★★★
2023	64.3	960 of 3556	73.0%	★★★★☆
2022	50.6	1610 of 3487	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	1017 of 3446	70.5%	★★★★☆
2019	52.4	1440 of 3333	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	20.7	2953 of 3226	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	594 of 4575	87.0%	★★★★☆
2024	84.4	517 of 4658	88.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	661 of 4588	85.6%	★★★★☆
2022	83.5	537 of 4561	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	83.9	566 of 4499	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	298 of 4348	93.1%	★★★★★
2018	90.0	302 of 4306	93.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	69.0	799 of 3075	74.0%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	642 of 2980	78.5%	★★★★☆
2022	68.6	874 of 2958	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	72.9	782 of 3006	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	75.4	421 of 3184	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	560 of 3106	82.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	542 of 4413	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.4	306 of 4465	93.1%	★★★★★
2023	83.4	421 of 4401	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	79.4	547 of 4376	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.7	524 of 4329	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	85.4	311 of 4188	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	83.3	381 of 4168	90.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	82.4	390 of 4520	91.4%	★★★★★
2024	84.9	305 of 4594	93.4%	★★★★★
2023	79.3	477 of 4521	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	327 of 4477	92.7%	★★★★★
2021	88.4	185 of 4451	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.3	166 of 4309	96.1%	★★★★★
2018	84.6	284 of 4264	93.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	81.5	659 of 4582	85.6%	★★★★☆
2024	85.6	478 of 4647	89.7%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	699 of 4585	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	84.7	527 of 4563	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	84.0	549 of 4498	87.8%	★★★★☆
2019	89.9	317 of 4357	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	86.2	460 of 4319	89.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	75.4	225 of 1106	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	79.3	157 of 1128	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	74.2	227 of 1099	79.3%	★★★★☆
2022	65.5	310 of 1004	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.7	589 of 961	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	82.0	116 of 1112	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	79.1	147 of 1046	85.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	57.7	1292 of 4301	70.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.2	1435 of 4292	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.8	1714 of 4086	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	2172 of 3952	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.5	1061 of 3799	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	902 of 3684	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.6	542 of 3558	84.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	76.0	555 of 3006	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	646 of 3108	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.8	804 of 3106	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	361 of 3082	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	414 of 3082	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	90.9	98 of 3142	96.9%	★★★★★
2018	90.5	121 of 3127	96.1%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

At Risk (2022)91st percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)91st percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)88th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)88th percentile~ school

Female (2026)87th percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile~ school

White (2026)82nd percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)80th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)74th percentile-12 vs school

Special Education (2026)70th percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2026)69th percentile-17 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)45th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading74%+19 vs state

Mathematics60%+13 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, July 3, 2022

Extremely pleased with the education my child has received. We’ve been in 2 different elementary schools in CFISD the level of professionalism at Birkes far succeeds where we were before. I’m highly impressed with the administration and staff.
We were at Lamkin and the administration was subpar. The well being of our child was never a priority, and our concerns were never addressed in a timely manner. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, May 31, 2013

My daughter has mild autism. While she has only spent one year here so far, I have seen a dramatic improvement with her. Also, while this school may have over 1300 students, it never felt like my daughter was "lost" in the crowd. She might as well been in a school of a 100 students, it felt like teachers and staff knew who she was and always had the time. Close Quote

Schools Near Birkes Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Birkes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8500 Queenston Blvd	Houston	77095	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 345-3300	1,040	65	16.1	52.9%	259 (24.9%)	198 (19.0%)	356 (34.2%)	139 (13.4%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	82 (7.9%)	83.7	633^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	86.3%		83.7	620^th of 4651 public elementary schools	86.7%	13	71.6	74.9	74.2	55.3	68.3	56.1	$7,338
Copeland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18018 Forest Hts Dr	Houston	77095	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 856-1400	951	59	16.0	51.4%	216 (22.7%)	199 (20.9%)	363 (38.2%)	121 (12.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.4%)	78.4	819^th of 4627 public elementary schools	82.3%		78.3	819^th of 4651 public elementary schools	82.4%		61.9	59.6	68.9	52.9	71.2	65.1	$8,619
Holmsley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7315 Hudson Oaks Dr	Houston	77095	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 463-5885	785	57	13.8	80.0%	68 (8.7%)	106 (13.5%)	543 (69.2%)	34 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.2%)	51	2066^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.3%		49	2196^th of 4651 public elementary schools	52.8%	130	51.8	58.9	52.1	43.8	56.1	34.2	$9,931
Fiest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8425 Pine Falls	Houston	77095	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 463-5838	856	57	15.1	70.8%	115 (13.4%)	227 (26.5%)	383 (44.7%)	82 (9.6%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (5.4%)	42.5	2550^th of 4627 public elementary schools	44.9%		47.5	2291^st of 4651 public elementary schools	50.7%	259	50.8	54.0	52.6	31.7	46.4	35.0	$8,098
Lowery Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15950 Rdg Park Dr	Houston	77095	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 463-5900	660	45	14.6	59.4%	162 (24.5%)	95 (14.4%)	316 (47.9%)	37 (5.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.0%)	76.7	882^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	80.9%		82.3	671^st of 4651 public elementary schools	85.6%	211	57.8	65.6	75.5	46.7	67.2	57.7	$10,168
Postma Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18425 W Rd	Cypress	77433	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 345-3660	753	51	14.8	49.0%	156 (20.7%)	196 (26.0%)	235 (31.2%)	123 (16.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.4%)	72.5	1034^th of 4627 public elementary schools	77.7%		78.1	829^th of 4651 public elementary schools	82.2%	205	63.7	57.0	74.8	54.0	50.4	56.8	$7,166
Rennell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19500 Tuckerton Blvd	Cypress	77433	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(281) 213-1550	1,260	73	17.2	15.7%	423 (33.6%)	150 (11.9%)	256 (20.3%)	343 (27.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (6.9%)	95.8	138^th of 4627 public elementary schools	97.0%		96.6	121^st of 4651 public elementary schools	97.4%	17	82.9	87.0	80.2	71.8	81.2	77.2	$6,454
Harmony Science Academy - Cypress	Public, Charter	K-5	7047 Greenhouse Rd	Cypress	77433	Harris County	Harmony Public Schools - Houston North	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(713) 258-1641	656	41	15.9	67.4%	75 (11.4%)	222 (33.8%)	249 (38.0%)	82 (12.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.1%)	69.1	1179^th of 4627 public elementary schools	74.5%		69.4	1159^th of 4651 public elementary schools	75.1%	20	56.0	66.4	70.4	59.1	46.5	50.0	$10,507
Byrd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20002 W Rd	Cypress	77433	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(208) 897-4003	1,138	66	17.2	33.0%	115 (10.1%)	306 (26.9%)	279 (24.5%)	357 (31.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (6.9%)	93.3	240^th of 4627 public elementary schools	94.8%					(n/a)	75.4	75.5	87.2	70.8	69.7	75.0	$00
Woodard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17501 Cypress N Houston Rd	Cypress	77433	Harris County	Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(281) 373-2303	990	67	14.8	50.7%	207 (20.9%)	172 (17.4%)	356 (36.0%)	201 (20.3%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (5.1%)	89.3	405^th of 4627 public elementary schools	91.2%		89.4	391^st of 4651 public elementary schools	91.6%	14	73.0	76.3	84.7	51.8	73.4	71.2	$7,616

Frequently Asked Questions about Birkes Elementary

How many students attend Birkes Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,040 students attended Birkes Elementary.

What district is Birkes Elementary in?

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Isd)

Is Birkes Elementary a good school?

Birkes Elementary ranks 633^rd of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Birkes Elementary?

Students at Birkes Elementary are 34% Hispanic, 25% White, 19% African American, 13% Asian, 8% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.